A 173-year-old time capsule and granite foundation stone of the country’s oldest Catholic church have been unearthed, in what experts describe as a “rare discovery”.

Contractors found the hitherto missing capsule and foundation stone earlier this year while restoring the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd along Queen Street.

The time capsule – possibly the oldest one found here – comprises publications such as a prayer booklet and newspapers from 1843, as well as 24 international 18th- and 19th-century coins and tokens. A foundation stone, or cornerstone, is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation.